This price gouger is known among locals as the place to snare tourists racing to catch a flight needing to fill up their rental cars.

I was doing exactly this at 4am this past Monday morning. I knew this station was there, having stayed at the airport Sheraton before, but didn’t know this was the location of the infamous hurricane force rip off. I pulled in for a quick top off scanning for a price sign. And guess what-there are no price signs posted until you get to the pumps. (The legality of this is posted in this Bay News 9 article.)

I pulled up to the pump, saw the tiny LED number (yes, $5.89) and peeled out heading north, contemplating free markets and surprised that they got enough last minute business to justify those rates.

Only one mile north on Semoran sits a 7-Eleven/Citgo station at 5703 S Semoran, which as of Monday was priced at $3.47 with a friendly staff and fresh bananas two for a dollar.

Photo from Bay News 9

Read any message board and someone always chimes in with “I don’t fly – it’s better just to drive everywhere.” I surmise these people have unlimited free time, don’t live out west where cities are 600 miles apart, have no interest in foreign travel, and have no worries about falling asleep midpoint into their 16 hour drive and smashing themselves into a bridge abutment.

I love a good road trip. But I also enjoy hanging out at airports, especially my home in Denver, a well designed facility where open space abound, power outlets and internet are free and and easy to find. With technology today I can accomplish the same tasks as I’d be doing at home. I can VNC into work, edit my photos, read, watch a movie, post inane updates on Facebook – all while sitting at the airport. It’s the same thing I’d do Saturday morning at a coffee shop – while watching jumbo jets rumble around the ramps.

And I get to fly. On almost every flight there’s a least one moment where I’ve been thrilled and amazed at the view, at the fact I’m floating through the air, and at the technology that makes it all happen. I can still recall a flight in the late 90s on a Northwest DC-10 into LAX doing some holding patterns through the most incredible cloud canyons I’ve ever seen. It was like an Imax movie. Or recently witnessing an amazing left seat view of the New York City skyline during a nighttime glide into LaGuardia.

This recent flight wasn’t a special flight to somewhere exotic, rather just another Southern California weekend I’ve made dozens of times to see friends and family. In addition to finally making an upgrade (thanks due to my 2010 mileage total) this was an exceptionally beautiful trip. Certain westbound departures out of Denver climb straight up along I-70 over the Rockies, and the morning flights are spectacular. In 25 minutes you go from the eastern plains, over the downtown skyline on the left, then see the rolling foothills morph in the an endless sea of jagged snow covered peaks. For an infrequent flyer out west it’s an amazing sight. For myself who calls Colorado home it’s simply neat to spot regular landmarks like I-70, the switchbacks of US-40 to Winter Park, a completely out of place casino highrise in a canyon that looks like a train set model, and the ski resorts of Copper Mountain and Vail. Someone watching me peer out the window and taking pictures might have thought it was my first time in an airplane.

I wonder why it’s lost on so many people how amazing it is one can wake up in in the Rockies and be laying on the beach by noon, taking in the Pacific ocean. Or cross an ocean in one night. I suppose I’m easy to impress. Or equally I’m appreciate of the marvel of mankind that makes it happen – even while crammed in coach.

If you set out expecting a negative experience, you’ll more than likely find one. But if take a moment to actually breath in what you’re doing and you might find yourself feeling like you did the first time you flew.

If the below photos don’t make you want to pick a window seat on your next trip then take a read from Captain Dave’s blog - who puts the beauty of air travel into eloquent words. It’s a favorite of mine..

Two workers at Boeing’s Witchita complex brought their findings to their supervisors and the US Department of Justice. The program tells their story, interlaced with some dramatic cautions about his model of 737.

In light of the recent 737 incidents I watched this entire show last night. I thought this was very well presented and put together. Like my other favorite aviation investigative show “Mayday – Air Crash Investigation” it’s done straightforward, with little sensationalism – presents both sides and leaves the viewer to make an informed conclusion.

Full story and video here and below.

While showing my Mom around the Netherlands we were hungry. I’d taken her to a few of my favorite local spots but today we were en route to a museum, and didn’t want to languish in a corner table from noon til three.

We saw a McDonald’s, made the usual jokes, and walked in for a burger and salad. I was schocked. This McDonalds was really, really nice! I can’t believe I’m writing this but I enjoyed being there! It seems I’m way behind the times, and over the past rew years McDonald’s has rebranded some stores in a Starbucks-eque cafe style chique. And what they’ve done is pretty aesthetically appealing.

I figured it was a Europe thing. I’ve read McDonald’s maintains nicer, larger restaurants overseas, and some locals actually do make the arches a destination for a Big Mac, or “Royale” as it’s called in France.

The location on Kalverstraat, a pedestrial shopping mall in the heart of Amsterdam was clean, well maintained, replete with comfortable chairs cozy spaces. A week later, departing Schiphol airport, I had coffee, milk and a croissant while killing a few hours awaiting my flight. Location? A beautiful, quiet and modern mezzanine overlooking the departures/transit area. You guessed it – it was a McDonald’s.

Upon my return home this week, my newfound McDonald’s curiousity brought me to the Belleview and I-25 location near my work. Sure enough this one was just as nice as the two Amsterdam locations, with soft leather chairs, WiFi and soft orange and yellow lighting. The staff was wearing jet black shirts and looked well kept and professional. I had a sausage biscuit and coffee before biking over to work.

Unfortunately the food is still the McDonald’s from my youth, and smells just as bad when carried onto an airplane. But without getting into fat and calorie counts I’m certain a Quarter Pounder and a Diet coke won’t induce any more heart attacks than a Starbucks triple mocha latte with whip cream, downed with an oily muffin.

There it is – three McDonald’s restaurants in two weeks. Good job McDonald’s on the rebranding. I may not return often but it’s a nice look. Sorry it took me three years to notice it.

The handheld technology that’s evolved over the past seven to ten years is astounding. In the early to middle part of the last decade I could never imagine I’d have access to global maps (down to street detail), transit schedules, hotel and restaurant reviews, flight schedules check-in, travel apps and so much more right in my hand.

In fact when I visit a new city in the U.S. I never even pack a map. Google maps functions perfectly everywhere, and even includes transit schedules in many major cities. I can land in a strange city and plan my route from the airport to downtown while the plane is taxiing to the gate.

The downside is you can become very dependent on it. Or at least I have. When I travel outside the U.S. I’m forced to give up my constant web access unless I uprade to an expensive plan that includes data roaming. My budget says no thanks. Like most of my friends my data roaming is always turned off upon landing outside my home borders. With data and downloads at $19.95 a megabyte I don’t care to come home to a $25,000 phone bill.

But my smartphone is still extremely useful overseas thanks to the prevalence of public and private WiFi . I use Skype for my calls, which has an iPhone app so well integrated you forget you’re using Skype and not just making standard calls. (It even incorporates your contact lists.) I do admit to texting at 50 cents a text, but do so sparingly. (That is useful for maintaining contact when traveling with friends.) But above all, any WiFi signal for an iPhone or any smartphone opens the same access doors you have back home. In most major cities WiFi is extremely easy to find and use, so long as you know and take precaution against connecting to unsecured signals.

When abroad and opting out of data roaming, one feature I often use is the iPhone screenshot feature. This takes a photo of whatever is on your iPhone screen, then saves it to your photos for future reference. You simply hold down down the center button while quickly pressing the top (power) button. Your screen flashes as the screenshot is saved. I didn’t know about or use this feature until a year ago, and find some people who aren’t aware of this marvelous tool.

It’s a phenomenal tool if you want to retrieve an important document on your iPhone, but won’t have web access. For example an email with directions; rather than printing and carrying paper, or copying and pasting it to the “notes” app, simply take a screenshot and look at the photo.

My most recent and most useful example: A week ago I did a couple road trips in the Netherlands. Unable to find a decent map at my Denver library I planned to just purchase one at a gas station there. Before leaving I Google mapped the route from Amsterdam to Zeeland, which involved several busy and congested freeway interchanges around Rotterdam. I simply took screenshots of the route, and close up shots of the important interchanges, and saved them one by one to my phone. (Fortunately I was the passenger and able to fully concentrate as navigator.) I never even needed the a paper map.

Scrolling through the photos of the maps it reminded me of the old days when AAA would create a “Triptik” for their members – a small rectangular booklet with maps and turn by turn directions that you’d leaf through while driving. Even without web access this proved to be an amazingly easy way to not get lost and save money on maps or car rental GPS.

As shown below I’ve also used it for other maps – by taking a screenshot at the apartment with WiFi, then referencing it while out on the town.

With that disclaimer, my limited and pleasant experience based on two easyJet flightst:

I purchased a round trip from Madrid to Marrakesh, Morocco for about $70 USD. easyJet’s competitor Ryanair was offering fares for a mere $35 US. Obviously I wanted to avoid Ryanair and its atrocious reputation, so I opted to pay a little more. But seeing as these to fares were rock bottom, and Ryanair’s flights were scheduled an hour AFTER easyJet, I bought the Ryanair flight too as my own unique type of travel insurance.

easyJet has a small to medium size operation at Madrid Barajas, in the old terminal 2 and 3.  Efficient once there with clean gates and nearby amenities, but like the U.S. gates it’s a very long walk from the Metro Station, located at the other end of Terminal 3

easyJet’s seating is similar to Southwest – No assigned seating and first come first choice. You may purchase the “Speedyboarding” option for about 10 Euros, which I thought a good deal. It netted me first in line with about 10 other early boarders, and I managed to get exit rows on both flights.  In boarding the aircraft there are no numbers or order like Southwest, everybody just lines up like they’re waiting at the Post Office.    Oddly, in Madrid, no one line up in advanced and all stayed seated.  As soon as they announced pre-boarding only THEN did everyone rush to the door.

Carryon: Like other European carriers they’re far stricter than the U.S. carriers, where many agents turn a blind eye to giant bulging bags some drag down the jetway and bounce between the seats. You’re allowed ONE carry-on, and one means one. I usually have a book/laptop and a small messenger out before boarding, so as not block the aisle retrieving things.  Prior to boarding I was to consolidate them all into my rollerbag and prove it could fit in the sizers.

Both flights were uneventful.  Flying across the Straight of Gibralter this hazy day I could just as easily been on a flight from Albuquerque to Vegas.   On board service consisted of drinks and buy on board snacks, and a pass through of the duty free cart.

Departing Marrakesh was a little less organized as we boarded via dual airstairs (which I enjoy) but we were first queued up outside on the ramp.   Again no complaints – it was a beautiful day and I love planespotting, especially when I have the opportunity to be this close and see some foreign (to me) carriers.   However this could be uncomfortable for some in the Moroccan summers.

I would easily fly easyJet again, and their fare were far below Iberia, Royal Air Moroc and other carriers that served that route. Note the crummy stairs that Ryanair boards with. (lower right photo)

Quick Euro tip:  In Europe the overhead bins are called “lockers.”

A few tourists have had less then stellar experiences, but if you were to pore over those internet accounts you’d imagine yourself backed into an dead end alley with dozens of kids grabbing at your wallet while emptying your pockets and cutting your camera off your neck. I chuckled at Rick Steve’s guidebook describing Spain daytrippers to Tangiers appearing “like hostages, clutching their bags and big purses in front of them.”

That said each city has its own unique minor warnings. Morocco is a very safe country, and crime against tourists and travrlers is minimal and mostly opportunistic. One of these hustles involve the ease of getting lost. Even for the geographically skilled the streets and alleys of Marrakesh can prove confusing, with literally mazes of streets leading to forks and dead ends. If you make time it can be fun to explore, but if you’re trying to get home or be somewhere you’re best served to leave a trail of mental breadcrumbs. To get to my Riad I had a list of checkpoints, including a large mosque and this restaurant sign I called the “McDonald’s” sign because it had a large M in the center.

My first jaunt out I saw a sign for a cafe on a main street, followed it around some corners and found myself peering into a lady’s kitchen, thinking it was the restaurant. She pointed me in the right direction, but I found it closed. Retreating back down the alley that same lady asked if she could cook me something. Obviously my tourist dollars were a goal, but the gesture was memorable. After all I don’t think she’d invite just anyone into her home.

Getting lost however proves an opportunistic scam for some, a popular trick being to act as a guide to help you to your hotel or location, then leading you in circles or extra blocks for more money. It’s best to turn down offers of help when you’re studying and rotating your map. When a local’s directions are a must, the solution to this is to ask people in a store, or one who’s behind a counter or stall, thus having no incentive to misguide you.

While walking to the central market and back daily I passed by a restaurant and one morning stopped in for a bottle of water. One younger gentleman in particular spoke English well, and I liked the food, so I wound up returning two more times for lunch and dinner. During a late lunch we were chatting and I was showing him some photos on my camera screen. He recognized a nondescript man pushing a bike – then explained to me he was an undercover officer, patrolling to watch for any shenanigans against tourists. Obviously the city has an incentive to keep tourists safe from scams, but this was above and beyond in my opinion.

I can only recall one single instance, in the souk, where after declining to view some wares the salesperson followed me longer than I cared for. I switched my polite pleasantries to a firm “NO” and that was the end of it. One annoying instance out of hours and hours among vendors, but easier to escape him than leave a car dealership here in the U.S.

I wouldn’t say all the warnings I read go overboard, but excessive worrying and reading can taint a city’s image and the way you approach it. I met plenty of friendly locals and had a great introduction to the city during dinner with a local. More to come…

It’s the Paradise Cafe on the mezzanine level. In the back seating area is a comfy booth and table, a nice view of the tarmac, relatively quiet space, and best of all a power outlet hidden behind this trash receptacle.

I usually head here straight from the train, taking the back elevator behind the crowded banks of escalators.

Sure it’s not the Red Carpet Room, but probably the next best thing. A good selection of coffee too.

Not all U.S. airlines use Terminal 4. Terminals 1-3 are quite functional and remain heavily used, just lack the beauty and elegance of the new structure. Except for American Airlines and Iberia, which are part of OneWorld and use T4, other airlines to and from the U.S. use the A Gates at the far end of Terminal 1, necessitating a very long walk to immigration and customs, then another very long walk to the Metro Station.

I was very early for a flight to Morocco, so I took the subway an extra stop to T4 to take some photos at dawn of the airport starting to come to life. Check out the ultra shiny floor in front of the arrivals door – you could practically eat off it. The Madrid Metro’s line 8 has a separate and very modern station for Terminal 4, and I was surprised to find transit time between the airport and most points in the city center only took about 25-30 minutes even with a couple transfers.

A photo note: I started using Simpleviewer for my blog instead if Nexgen gallery. I find it’s easier to navigate through photos, and it has a cool little feature which pulls selected photos directly from my Flickr site, saving precious storage space. The “fullscreen” button at the upper right expands the photos for a nice slideshow and uncluttered viewing.

I snapped a photo of these well needed directives, located on each inside cover of the overhead space.

Excellent work, let’s hope it helps.

In addition to having it backed up in case of loss or theft, having the info on hand is useful when filling out immigration forms on airplanes, or checking in online, you won’t have to dig it out from its securely stored location.

And keep a pen handy too.

photo from mexico.vg

However others are claiming the TSA shut off the many of the body scanners thus removing any opportunity for travelers to opt out and make the unified statement of abuses and excess power,- (This as summarized by many via Gizmodo.)

My own anecdotal stat: Wednesday 3pm at Denver, I entered the south checkpoint line which had a body scanner AND metal detector. All four passengers in front of me were directed to the metal detector, and zero through the body scanner.

Expecting chaos I arrived four hours before my flight. I found the scant lines and finished my workday in my favorite coffee shop inside security.

Well played TSA, well played.

While easyJet is also billed as a budget carrier with a la carte fees, their reputation is a bit less tarnished. They’ve also been the focus of the UK TV show Airline, (the equivalent to A&E’s show starring Southwest airlines,) so after watching five minutes of any episode you’re a pro on what to expect.

Prices between the two are extremely competive. The screen shot below is from today, but a few weeks back when researching Madrid, Spain to Marrakesh, Morocco, Ryanair had a ridiculously cheap airfare of 17 Euro. $30 to fly to another continent is quite tempting. But knowing their reputation, and the fact I’d be getting stuck with a possible a carry on fee at the airport, easyJet’s fare for about 50 Euro (about $70) US was the obvious choice. (And pulled today it now matches Ryanair’s $37 price.)

Like any other well organized traveler I attempt to foresee problems, plan ahead and create contingencies for them. I try and fly on carriers with multiple flight options, however both easyJet and Ryanair each only have one Madrid-Marrakesh flight per day. A cancellation would shave an entire day off my short four day stay in Marrakesh.

When I looked at the flight schedules I saw that the Ryanair flight departed a few hours after the easyJet flight which I planned to purchase. For the Ryanair price of $30 I could purchase some “insurance” or “protection”, so if the easyJet flight was cancelled I could simply walk over to the Ryanair flight and still make Marresh a few hours later, minus whatever fees Ryanair would stick me with.

Same schedule on the return: easyJet leaves at 1:05pm, Ryanair at 3:30. What a great backup! Now there could be problems ditching an outbound flight on easyJet and attemping to use a return, but if you explained that your outbound flight was cancelled and you made other arrangements it may be passable. And if denied the Ryanair flight is waiting just two hours later. Either way I now have a backup plan in case easyJet turns out to be difficult that day.

It can’t be a good thing that my confidence in airlines is so low that I book two tickets on different carriers with the expectation that one will fail, but in this case it makes sense, and will allow me to make the most of my time in Marrakesh.

easyJet photo by Wikicommons

They come in three sizes, although for carry ons I can’t see needing anything larger than the small size which is 9″ by 5.5″.

Keeping one for electronics and one for toiletries makes organizing and unpacking your carry on clean and stylish, and they’re convenient to keep at your seat on a plane or train.

Timbuk2 site

I woke up on my first morning of a New Orleans stay and already had my utilitarian robot breakfast in the hotel.

Immediately after my friend asked if I was in the mood for brunch at The Court of Two Sisters. I told him I wasn’t that hungry, and was only planning to wander the French Quarter taking some photos, and also the aroma of beer fermenting the gutters.  I told him I’d join him for coffee and a bagel. He then informed me that it’s a one price buffet. None of this “order one small item” business. I didn’t want to spend $30 dollars when I wasn’t even that hungry, but reminding me that I was “in New Orleans” he convinced me to do it anyway and I’m glad I did.

I was overwhelmed at the selection, and chose to try a little of everything in as modest of portions as I could: Crawfish, turtle soup, and shrimp with remoulade sauce – (that’s a southern dip with horseradish and worstershire sauce.) For the main course I had two orders of eggs benedict, and for dessert a hefty slab of bread pudding.

It was an immense breakfast  – but we stopped short of turning it into a “Man versus Food” episode.

The restaurant is indoor and outdoor, in a large old mansion with courtyard. Entry is through a tunnel like passage (originally used for horses) leading to the dining area and courtyard.

This being the first morning after arrival I noted a small cultural observation of how polite the locals are. My friend and I sat at a two seat table inside against the courtyard window. Everyone that passed by us, whether staff or patron, nodded or said a polite “excuse me”, even though they weren’t interrupting us in the least.

An immense brunch of new flavors, and a perfect counterpart to my favorite dinner restaurant the Praline Connection which I visited on my 2006 trip.

The Court of Two Sisters is at 613 Royal Street, in the French Quarter.
http://www.courtoftwosisters.com/